Green Berets of Another Sort
Proudly wearing their green berets and civilian garb, about 1,500 firefighters watched the St. Patrick’s Day Parade from the sidelines Thursday and booed the mayor to protest an order barring them from marching in the green toppers.
But the 244th annual parade, which has endured controversy before, proceeded with nary a hitch as thousands of revelers marched up Fifth Avenue amid the blare of bagpipes and the flash of green in honor of Irish heritage and culture.
Leading the way were about 80 members of the historic Fighting 69th Infantry Regiment, the Army National Guard unit that has lost eight of its members since being deployed to Iraq in October.
The protesting firefighters, standing along a 10-block stretch near the Metropolitan Museum of Art, booed Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg as he marched past with his predecessor, Rudolph W. Giuliani. They also booed Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta, who ordered firefighters to adhere to “a proper dress code” that did not include green berets.
Bloomberg, wearing a “Mike Go Bragh” button, took the protest in stride, waving politely. Gov. George E. Pataki made light of the protest. “People are always looking for controversy,” he said.
The berets had been allowed in the parade since 1975.
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